Monero Veteran Prepares for Tali Token, Promises Easier Mining for Beginners than Bitcoin

In an attempt to simplify the complex world of cryptocurrencies for a new generation, a group of former Monero developers, including core contributor Riccardo Spagni (aka “fluffypony”), are launching a testnet for their Tari Universe desktop application for mining the eponymous Tari token.

Tari contributor Naveen Jain said Tari was inspired by the early days of Bitcoin, when anyone could mine the cryptocurrency on their own computer without the need for specialised equipment, before expensive, energy-hungry mining rigs became the norm.

“Think about a new person who doesn't have a MetaMask wallet installed, who doesn't have an account on an exchange, how are they going to get on board?” said Jain, who was also an early Monero miner. Decryption.

“When bitcoin first came out, people could mine bitcoin with their existing computers, and that's how this whole industry started,” he continued. “What if we went back to the way it was when bitcoin first came out, where anyone could download free software from the internet, install it, and start mining new blockchain protocols?”

Jain said the Tari Universe mining software and testnet will go live on September 12, with the Tari mainnet expected to go live later this year.

May, Tali Announced Eligible community members can also earn airdropped Tari tokens by completing online quests, such as liking or retweeting on Twitter, participating in the Tari Reddit community, or creating memes featuring Soon, Tari's turtle mascot.

“[The Tari token] “You should think of it similarly to a token like Ethereum,” he said. “This is the token that powers the entire network, and ultimately the token that is used to pay for transactions and use applications on the Tari network.”

Jain explained that Tari is a proprietary blockchain that uses a Bitcoin-like proof-of-work consensus algorithm and benefits from technology from Monero, a leading privacy coin. He said it uses a “hybrid” model in which half of the blocks are mined with Tari and the other half with Monero's merge-mining.

However, Jain stressed that Tari is separate from the privacy-focused Monero project.

“It's not accurate to say that Tari is a sidechain,” he said. “That said, it does benefit from the security model of Monero on the RandomX side through merge-mining.”

Merged mining refers to the process by which miners can simultaneously mine two or more cryptocurrencies that use the same consensus protocol and hash function. As a result, miners can earn rewards from both networks without any additional resources. Merged mining benefits smaller networks by improving security and cost efficiency.

Jain said adopting this approach will benefit the Tari community as it will make the network more decentralized and accessible from day one.

“It doesn't matter if you believe ETFs will save the day or what you believe about your maximalist vision,” Jain says. “The reality is that the system is currently a closed box, not an open and accessible one, and every new protocol that gets launched is only for people who are already here.”

To critics in the crypto community who may question the need for something like Tali Universe, Jain reiterated the need to attract new users and not just rely on older cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.

“What about the next generation? Gen Alpha, Gen Z, these new generations?,” Jain asked. “You were literally here at the Bitcoin conference in Nashville and we had a 78-year-old former president promoting Bitcoin from the stage. If that's not the definition of a baby boomer coin, I don't know what is.”

Jain said the Tari Universe software has two modes for mining tokens: ECO mode and Ludicrous mode, the latter of which is a reference to the Mel Brooks classic film “Spaceballs.”

Jain said ECO mode consumes fewer computer resources, making it ideal for mining while the computer is in use. In contrast, Ludicrous mode consumes more resources and is best suited for when the computer is not in use, such as at night.

“You don't need to have custom, expensive hardware to mine Tari, like you do to mine Bitcoin,” Jain said. “You can just have an existing laptop or desktop computer and mine Tari.”